Zaid files suit for return of 1MDB monies

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Cabinet member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (pic) is suing the Prime Minister, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and two others in a representative action for return of monies.

Zaid said he is bringing the civil action on behalf of Malaysian citizens and taxpayers.

In the statement of claim made available to the media Wednesday, Zaid named Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, 1MDB, the Government and Najib's stepson Riza Shariz Abdul Aziz as defendants.

He is seeking an order for Najib to pay back RM42mil to the Government over alleged breach of his duty as trustee when the sum was paid into his personal bank account.

Among others, Zaid is seeking an order that Najib pay US$731mil (RM2.9bil) to 1MDB by way of restitution, claiming that the Prime Minister received the amount belonging to 1MDB in his personal bank account.

He said the Government, as sole shareholder of 1MDB, is entitled to disbursement of the sum in its favour.

Zaid is also applying for an order that Riza pay 1MDB all alleged sums received by him, whether directly or indirectly, from 1MDB monies.

He also wants an order that Riza transfer to 1MDB all property, wheresoever situated, acquired by him or his nominees or agents.

Zaid's lawyer Americk Sidhu confirmed that the suit was filed at the High Court registry Tuesday.

Case management before a deputy registrar has been set for Sept 21.

Zaid Ibrahim backs NGO's call for separation of AG, public prosecutor roles

Former minister Zaid Ibrahim is in agreement with the call from the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs’s (Ideas) for the separation of the attorney-general (AG) and public prosecutor roles.

He was present at a forum organised by Ideas, entitled 'Should the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor be separated?' at the Universiti Malaya Alumni Association club house in Kuala Lumpur today
.

“We should follow other developed countries (in separating the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor),” Zaid said during the discussion.

He was referring to nations like the United Kingdom and Australia, where the attorney-general is answerable to the Parliament and not to the executive (the prime minister), while the director of public prosecution is independent in making decisions to prosecute.

Ideas chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan had mentioned in a statement earlier that with one individual holding both the attorney-general and public prosecutor roles, it would create a conflict of interest if a particular case involved the government.

“The attorney-general is the chief legal advisor to the government, while the public prosecutor is expected to make decisions on whether or not to prosecute a case […] it is not fair on the AG to be burdened with this conflict of interest because it could lead to a situation where people question the integrity of even the most honest and dedicated AG,” Wan Saiful said.

Bar Council member Rajpal Singh and Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) president Cynthia Gabriel, who were part of the forum panel, also expressed support for Ideas’ call for the separation of roles.

The forum was organised by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) in conjunction with the launch of their #NyahKorupsi (#EliminateCorruption) campaign.

Besides strengthening the institution of attorney general and public prosecutor, Ideas also urged that three other steps be taken in order to achieve the government’s National Key Recovery Area (NKRA) Fighting Corruption targets.

They consist of:

· Upgrading the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into a constitutionally mandated Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (IACC);

· Amending relevant parts of the MACC Act 2009 to give more investigative powers to the relevant bodies; and

· Amending Acts like the Official Secrets Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Witness Protection Act, and to introduce laws that enable freedom of information and asset declarations.

A vision of peace that’s laudable

Malaysia needs an extensive communications channel committed to explaining concepts which remind us of the value of multiculturalism, diversity and understanding.

THE launch of the book Visions for Peace by the Permaisuri of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah, who is also patron of the Association of Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason (PCORE), at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club on April 23 was memorable for many reasons.

The main attraction for me was Raja Zarith’s speech, which was short but full of courage and hope. “I have often lamented on the erosion of values and principles which stand in the way of our hopes and dreams for a better Malaysia,” she said.

It was especially poignant when she asked, “Why should we not uphold these noble values? Why should we not have lofty principles to guide us in life? Why should we not be guided by the tenets which our faiths and religions teach us?”

This was a brave and timely call, especially when many are already asking if it is not already too late.

The continued struggle by the people for Malaysia’s heart and soul, between the religious and secular, is the source of our difficulties. While some are comfortable with democracy, and want to accept the reality of multiculturalism, believing that we can find true peace and unity only by harnessing the strength of our diversity, others are totally opposed to this idea. They prefer the “unity” of one racial or religious group over all others and seek to maintain control on the basis of identity.

Some believe in the value of fairness and human rights, as evident in our religious obligations to treat all of God’s creations with fairness and justice, but others see this as inimical to their beliefs and even as a threat to their culture and morality; even posing a threat to their positions as “political masters” of the land.

Many believe that democratic rights and common values should be the foundation of society and are willing to trust political leaders elected by the people to manage the affairs of the country.

Many others, however, are making equally strong demands for a religious country where theologians are the true leaders of the land and where democracy is desirable only if politics can be won by the new class of leaders whose claim to fame lies in their “divinely inspired” knowledge.

As a result, the narratives of the past – the Rukun Negara, democracy, human rights, religious freedom and fundamental liberties – are spoken about today without conviction and only in terms of their “limited” application.

Religious morality has become the new tool of social differentiation, which makes it impossible to integrate the various communities in our country.

It’s indeed laudable and gratifying that Raja Zarith and her team of dedicated reformists have initiated a movement to bring back the values of the “old school” into the lifeblood of the country, as a modern and civilised democracy where people are guided by reason and conscience and want to live in peace and harmony.

At the book launch, it was evident that PCORE was made up of well-educated Malaysians who could provide a fresh outlook to help the country move forward.

I did observe, however, that many who attended the launch (including myself) were in their 50s and 60s – many were ardent voices of reason and moderation, perhaps because they were educated under the “old school system”, have an open mind and live in middle class suburbs.

I just hope the young and those living elsewhere in the country share the same mindset.

It is a blessing that we have as leaders of the moderate movement those privileged elites who are willing to engage with political leaders on major issues and make the case of reform in key areas such as education and politics.

At the same time, the message articulated in the book and other PCORE seminars needs to penetrate the far reaches of the country so every Malaysian regardless of background has the opportunity to listen to these views.

The effectiveness of PCORE as a group will be more widespread if they have the ability to influence and lobby policymakers effectively. Politicians will take notice of public initiatives only if they sense that support for such initiatives is strong and that the lobbyists are influential individuals themselves.

Towards this end, I suggest that Visions for Peace and other works be translated into Bahasa Malaysia (if not already done) and that the chapters on various topics such as unity, multiculturalism, harmony, balance of the environment and social cohesion be read and explained over a special radio service.

Malaysia needs an extensive communications channel committed to explaining concepts such as those articulated in Visions for Peace to remind us of the value of multiculturalism, diversity and understanding.

These broadcasts should be made on a regular basis and I call on the Government to allow the establishment of a dedicated national radio station, which I think could be managed admirably by PCORE.

The significance of radio is two-fold: if the Government truly believes that fresh ideas on national unity, diversity and democracy are important, then it must be willing to be a partner in disseminating these ideas. The Government should not fear a fresh view of these concepts if it is useful for national development.

For PCORE, radio can be a useful tool to spread the message of moderation, conscience and reason while discussions and debates on air about some of the key issues will help enlighten people who are otherwise subjected only to a fixed line of thinking.

Unless PCORE has the tools and is allowed by the Government to have access to these tools to do its work in spreading new ideas, its ability to change values and mind-sets, and its efforts to help give voice to those seeking to find the light at the end of the tunnel, will be limited and this would be most unfortunate.

• Former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (carbofree@gmail.com) is now a legal consultant. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Zaid: Restore ‘some powers’ to Rulers, opposition too weak as check-and-balance

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — Former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim supported today the restoration of “some powers” to the country’s constitutional monarchy as a measure to check the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

He suggested the move was needed as the Pakatan Harapan opposition bloc had proven to be “weak” in going up against the BN, which won a bigger mandate in the recently-ended Sarawak election.

“We do not have a strong opposition to provide check-and-balance to the ruling politicians. Some powers should be restored to the Rulers in order to help curb politicians from not being accountable.

“In that way, we would at least see some sharing of power between the politicians and Rulers” he told Malay Mail Online today.

Zaid who was minister in charge of law during the Abdullah administration was weighing in on a call by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor last week, for an amendment to the Federal Constitution to restore the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or Rulers to examine and approve Bills.

The former Umno politician said he had previously backed the Mahathir administration’s move to curb the power of the Malay Rulers, but emphasised that the situation now had changed.

“I supported Dr Mahathir back in 1994 as the Rulers should be held accountable for their actions, which they were not. Hence, removing powers like personal immunity was appropriate,” he said, referring to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was instrumental in cutting down the power of the monarchs.

“However 20 years down the road, the political leaders are also not accountable for their actions. Some of their actions are worse than the Rulers’ back then. A check and balance is needed,” Zaid said.

He did not specify which powers should be restored, but said Malaysians should not be worried that the Rulers would have too much power in their hands.

Last Saturday, state news agency Bernama reported Sultan Ibrahim as saying that the monarchy should have their powers back instead of serving to only rubber-stamp Bills passed in either Parliament or the state legislative assemblies.

Zaid: Time to fight real issues, not imaginary ones

Zaid Ibrahim says he will campaign for the Independent candidate in Chempaka because Kelantanese do not need more prayers but real action to resolve real issues.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has said he will campaign for his friend who will be contesting in the upcoming Chempaka by-election under an Independent ticket against PAS, saying he was happy to do it because Kelantanese do not want more prayers to solve their problems, but real action carried out by a “normal person”.

In his latest blog entry, he wrote: “A ‘normal person’ has more experience of life and can understand better the people’s problems.

“Such a person wouldn’t just pray for those problems to go away, but would instead do something about them”, adding that PAS was all about Hudud when it clearly wasn’t the priority in Kelantan at the moment.

He said rather than have a “leader who can lead us in prayers”, Kelantanese needed a “good and honest government” and someone who would fight for real issues like clean water, housing, better irrigation, and garbage collection.

“They need drug problems to be seriously looked at,” Zaid added.

He also commented on the passing of the much beloved Tok Guru – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, and said without him, PAS was clueless and left with no identity because the party had nothing to do with politics to begin with but was an Islamist party fashioned around their Tok Guru.

Noting that the ulama faction had been plunged into chaos with the passing of Nik Aziz, Zaid said, “If they think that by introducing hudud they can somehow recover their identity and legitimacy, then they certainly do not understand the Kelantanese.

“We do not want hudud because we are a hard-working people and need all our limbs intact!” Zaid said referring to PAS’s fixation with implementing hudud with its harsh sentences of amputation and stoning for some acts deemed criminal.

He added, “We, in Kelantan, must elect a leader who can administer the state and who can deal with the real problems of the people – not imaginary ones.”

Zaid sets up a web platform for moderates

'Sensible' place for push back against racial and religious extremism

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has now become a publisher and media owner, in addition to being a lawyer, author, blogger, newspaper columnist and anti-highway activist.

He has set up a “sensible” news and commentary web site called Nasionalis at www.nasionalis.my, with four staff, to provide a platform for moderates to speak up.

“I wanted a 100% Malay-language portal focussing on political education and issues the country needed to talk about, especially among the Malay community,” he told Malaysian Insider.

Zaid said he was concerned that the Malays were being influenced by ideologies of racial and religious extremism which he felt would be detrimental to both the community and the country in the long term.

“I believe we need to do something to bring all the races together. There’s no reason for different races to fight and there will be no end to this. We need to move on because I believe we are still being dragged by this religious and racial problems. It is dangerous and unnecessary,” the Star quoted him as saying.

“I encourage especially the Indians, Chinese, or the Kadazans write in Bahasa for us and I will publish them…this is an exciting project,” he said.

Zaid slams PAS for ditching Anwar

Zaid Ibrahim goes online to show his disappointment in PAS for not bothering to lend moral support to Anwar in his time of need.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim took to Twitter and Facebook today to express his disappointment in PAS, noting that only a few of its members bothered to show up to lend moral support to Anwar Ibrahim as he readied himself for the verdict of the Sodomy II appeal.

In his first tweet on the subject, Zaid said: “I see almost no presence of PAS supporters except Mat Sabu and Dr Zulkifli. Is this what Islamic friendship (is) all about?”

After the guilty verdict was read and sentencing of five years’ imprisonment announced, Zaid took to Twitter again, saying: “Don’t worry Anwar, your Islamist friends will not help you but others in the country will.”

“Don’t worry Anwar there are secular friends who are more honourable and will help the cause,” Zaid continued, taking a direct jab at PAS for abandoning their political comrade during his time of need.

Much earlier, upon arriving at court and sensing that the verdict of guilty was highly likely, Zaid had tweeted: “Building impressive from outside in Putrajaya. Toilet stinks, however, just like the country.”

In a blog posting yesterday, Zaid had mocked the government for relentlessly pursuing Anwar on charges of sodomy, something that had taken up 17 years, noting that Anwar has been the only individual in the entire country hauled up for allegedly being a homosexual.

He also said, “Even if he is imprisoned, his friends in the Pakatan as well as those outside the political framework will collectively shoulder the task of rebuilding our now tattered country,” a statement he may feel differently about today with the apparent disinterest shown by PAS.

Zaid Ibrahim hopes for Anwar’s freedom

'How can we condone a guilty verdict and at the same time feel no revulsion over the way Altantuya was murdered?'

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia would be ripe for another political tsunami if Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty of sodomy this February 10, says Zaid Ibrahim in his latest blog posting.

“For the first time since independence,” he writes, “we would be sending someone to prison for five years for what is a moral offence, at best.”

He says the February 10 decision “will tell the world a few things about Malaysia”.

“If the case is acquitted (as I hope it will be), then it means the justice system upholds the basic tenet of giving the benefit of reasonable doubt to the accused. Much has been made about why Anwar’s alibis did not materialise or why he elected to give his statement from the dock and not under oath. But those are his choices and he has a right to make them. We may draw any inference from them that we want but they do not amount to evidence against him.

“The primary evidence, on the other hand, is all in tatters. The DNA samples were tampered with, although some will point out that what was tampered with or torn was just the plastic bag the samples were kept in and not the samples themselves. Well it’s clear that the person who was responsible for this tampering was a policeman investigating the case, and not a chemist or someone not involved with the prosecution.

“I hope the judges will view the investigating officer’s conduct with suspicion and draw an adverse inference on this point and release Anwar Ibrahim. A good criminal lawyer can give other valid reasons why he should be acquitted.”

He says it would be wrong to condone a guilty verdict on Anwar and at the same time not be revolted by the way Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered.

“How can we feel no necessity to explore the motives behind the heinous killing?”

Zaid supports a public inquiry into the murder. “It can reveal to us how the system of government operates, as well as how the police and our justice system will manage such cases— where there is some connection to top leaders—in future.

“Understanding what happened to Altantuya holds the key to understanding many things that are wrong with our country.”

He suggests an inquiry panel made up of retired judges to carry out a detailed examination of the case.

“It’s unlikely that any key witnesses will come forward with any new information, and this panel will not have the powers to compel attendance,” he says. “Still, such an inquiry can help lift, even if only slightly, the cloak of secrecy that engulfs our government.

“Critics will say that this inquiry will only be able to unearth hearsay and double-hearsay. They will label it all rubbish speculation to a straightforward murder. It’s true that such an inquiry may not reveal the whole truth or bring us any closer to know the motives or circumstances of Altantuya’s murder. But the inquiry is not aimed solely at discovering what happened to Altantuya; more importantly, it’s to show that the secrecy by which this government operates will not be tolerated by the people of this country.

“It’s an opportunity to show that there are enough Malaysians who are willing to stand up to accomplish this. If the people of this country have the conviction to want a democracy, transparency and accountability, and feel enough revulsion for the current secret style of governing, then Altantuya would have contributed immensely to the cause.

“Let’s not let her death be in vain. Let’s have a public inquiry funded by the public for the benefit of the public, so that one day we will have a government that is willing to explain anything strange that may happen. At the moment they do not have to, because we the people tolerate secret operations and a secret system of government.”

‘Cmon Zam be a man’, Zaid needles veteran journalist

Zaid Ibrahim teases Zainuddin Maidin about his decision to end his political writing career, suggesting there is more to the story.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, in reacting to the sudden news that veteran journalist Zainuddin Maidin will stop writing contemporary political pieces, sent him a naughty tweet saying, “Cmon Zam be a man; dont submit if you believe in the cause?

“Country going down. Of course to be bold u have to be clean”

Zaid tweeted this message after news broke that Zainuddin, also known as Zam, had made the decision to end his political writing in his search for peace, away from “intimidation, pressure” and the smearing of his name in his old age.

However not wishing to let Zam off the hook that easily, Zaid, in his most recent tweet, said, “Zam, Tun M took good care of you.

“U would not be Editor, Minister and a Tan Sri but for Tun.

“The least you can do is stand by him”

Zaid was referring to Zam’s close relationship with former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

In his last blog posting, Zam said he felt insulted to hear that he had been accused of conspiring against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak just because he once had breakfast with former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and on another occasion met Mahathir with a couple of friends.

Daim and Mahathir, like Zam, are prominent critics of Najib.

Zam’s decision took many by surprise as it comes close on the heels of another surprising announcement Sunday by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that he was willing to work with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in their probe against the numerous wrongdoings of Daim.

Extremism is good business for mullahs

Zaid Ibrahim says “joker-fundamentalists” portray religion as difficult, thereby making a good business of selling Islam to unthinking, fearful followers.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: At the risk of having more Muslims call him “infidel”, “apostate” and simply “mad”, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim took to his blog today saying that mullahs and fundamentalists were making a good business selling an extremist brand of Islam to its unthinking followers in Malaysia.

He said that in his view, Islam was a “way of life” that Muslims had to find on their own as that was what Islam “asks us to do”.

He lamented however that “mullahs and fundamentalists” had preferred to indoctrinate Muslims from young, saying religion was “not easy” and thus could only be discovered through them.

He said, “Thus, the way of life can be discovered only through them: the way of life is in fact their way, and only by following exactly in their footsteps can Islam be a rewarding way of life for believers.

“This is total nonsense — though it is also a good business idea.”

Zaid said many religious teachers made good money from selling religious books and recordings of their lectures because they had “no real jobs other than preaching and selling this ‘way of life’.” He said these teachers included graduates from Middle East institutions.

He added, “None of them have actually been useful in other human endeavours. They do not excel in science or business; they do little if anything for charity or for victims of natural disasters; and they do not speak up in the defence of justice.”

Describing them as “joker-fundamentalists”, Zaid ridiculed their “secret formula” which he said was nothing more than instilling “fear” in the hearts of Muslims.

“From young, Muslims in Malaysia are instilled with fear of every description so much so they are unable to stand and believe in themselves.”

He said that many even sought instructions from mullahs on how to have sex.

“They keep asking what is right and prohibited in sex, and all their lives they will always depend on mullahs for everything, which of course suits the mullahs very well.”

Saying that this had made Muslims unable to “think for themselves”, Zaid argued that was in essence what made “killings done in the name of Islam” something relatively easy for Muslims to do.

“That’s why when some evil mullahs tell them that killing is justified, they will go out and kill and thus bring their families down with them into ruin and destruction.”

Muslims must start “believing in themselves and for themselves”, he advised. “There is no need to join the mad crowd of religious businessmen selling extremist ideas. These fellows have brought nothing but misery to the Muslim world.”

Minister vs ex-minister over 'Taliban' M’sia

 

In a tweet for tat, an Umno minister and a former Umno minister have offered different takes on whether Malaysia is a Taliban state.

The issue was sparked off by Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Eric Paulsen, who in a tweet, accused the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) of sowing seeds of extremism.

Paulsen was arrested last night and is being investigated under the Sedition Act.

Urban Wellbeing Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan said if the accusation was true, Malaysia would be a Taliban nation right now.

In a series of tweets today, he pointed out that Malaysia had 2,652 Friday sermons to date, and no Muslim has ever turned violent after listening to them.

“But if we are not careful, a lot would (turn violent) after listening to Paulsen’s sermon,” he said on a sarcastic note.

Although the minister did not name the state, it was an obvious reference to the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled Selangor.

LFL was co-founded by PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya and PKR's Padang Serai MP N Surendran.

Meanwhile, former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim had a different take, and roped in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak into the issue as well.

“Malaysia (is) already a Taliban country, and the sermons referred to by Paulsen all started during Najib’s rule,” he tweeted.

The former Umno lawmaker also suggested that Abdul Rahman and others propose a motion that Malaysia is not a Taliban nation.

“I (would) like to oppose that motion,” he said.

Paulsen (left) has been remanded until tomorrow to facilitate investigations and Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar has warned all parties not to politicise the arrest.

“It is a lawful arrest, made to ensure harmony in this multiracial society.

“I would like to warn certain parties not to politicise or manipulate the issue of the arrest until it can affect public security,” he said.

Zaid: Instead of waging jihad, do as the Jews did

Zaid Ibrahim tells Muslims that a better way to defeat the West is by building better economies and wealthier countries.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim gave some hard-hitting advice to Muslims and their preachers, saying that a cleverer way to defeat the West and their ideals of freedom of expression was to follow in the footsteps of the Jews.

Zaid said that Jews, rather than wage holy wars and continuously complain about being persecuted throughout history, took it upon themselves to control banking and finance instead while “quietly” controlling media and establishing highly-regarded institutions of higher learning.

He said, “They believed that the West could only be conquered by money and education, and now the Chinese are following the same formula successfully.”

He said this in reference to the recent Paris killings, adding he was sure Muslims leaders would “sugarcoat” their condemnation of it because ultimately they felt “the victims were asking for it”.

“None will condemn the acts unconditionally,” Zaid said although Muslims did have a choice in how they wished to react to constant persecution.

He argued, “Muslims have a choice: to respond to these insults the way Christians, Jews and people of other faiths do—which is to ignore them or to litigate—or they can follow Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram and go all out to kill and destroy.”

He blamed Muslim leaders and preachers for conditioning the minds of other Muslims with “outdated teachings” that emphasised on “killling and defending their faith” rather than of living with others of different religions and values, in peace and harmony.

“Muslims must remember they live in a world that allows freedom of expression for individuals.

“In the West, they take personal freedom seriously, just as PAS leaders in Kelantan take hudud seriously,” Zaid said, adding, “…the West has this crazy belief about freedom of expression and individual rights” that Muslims must learn how to handle with a degree of calm and not by committing atrocities such as they did in Paris, Africa and Pakistan.

He also said, “Muslims must learn to cope with the challenges of the modern world and modern values. I suggest Muslims in Malaysia and elsewhere be willing to grow up and learn to live with this imperfect world in harmony with others.”

Saying it was time to put “anger and emotion” aside, Zaid added, “They can fight those who disagree with them with the Sedition Act and whatever laws they control, but unless Muslims are properly educated and have money and know-how, they will only know how to destroy but not to rebuild.”

Najib won’t give up cheap politics for Eminent 25

Zaid Ibrahim says PM prefers ideas that divide the people and appeal to the delusional rather than the more liberal ideas of the Eminent 25.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has said he is doubtful that anything positive will come of the meeting between the group of Eminent 25 Malays and the prime minister should he agree to see them.

He said this was because Najib Razak was not willing to give up on playing “cheap politics with the country’s future”.

In his latest blog entry, Zaid said, “He (Najib) will probably tell the group the same old story: that Islam and the Malays are under attack.

“He will say that only a strong authoritarian rule, underpinned by the lethal mixture of race and religion that UMNO/PAS offers, will help the Malays to be in power.”

Zaid said these were ideas Najib knew would appeal to the “delusional” even if they were ideas that did not work and were “divisive” to the country.

He also said Najib should realise that if progress was what he was after for the country, he had to stop making religion an important aspect of his government.

Zaid also said that if there was only one message the group should convey to the PM, it would be that he withdraw his earlier statement that Malaysia was an Islamic state.

He argued his point saying, “There is no Islamic state in the world that is prosperous and democratic, or that respects the dignity of individuals.

“If he wants Malaysia to be peaceful and progressive for many years to come, he must not make religion the central policy of his government.”

Pointing out that the PM was also trying to make religion the government’s business, Zaid said, “When it comes to finding God’s way, the people must be left to find their own path—this is not the Government’s business.”

He said the PM should instead find good leaders to govern the country well and improve the people’s welfare instead of “building their spiritual lives”.

Saying he didn’t see Najib wanting to affirm Malaysia as a democracy like the one his own father helped establish, Zaid said, “…the Eminent 25 must not be too hopeful that, at the meeting, the PM will buy into the contents of their open letter.

“They must not hope that he will support democratic government and the protection of civil liberties and rights of minorities.”

He said the Eminent 25 could only hope for a change if they “forcefully and categorically state their position clearly, and convey to the Prime Minister that there are indeed Malays who will fight to save this country from the dangerous politics he is playing”.

Zaid: No court higher than the civil court

According to former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim, a judge at a civil court should not say that a remedy cannot be found here at a High Court.

Zaid, who was present at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to hear the verdict in the Kassim Ahmad matter, said he had been brought up to recognise that there is only one court system in Malaysia - namely, the civil court.

Describing the whole country's law situation as being in disarray, Zaid noted that he was not surprised with today's decision.

"The Syariah Court is considered the subordinate court, which is inferior. A judge at a civil court should never say that the remedy is not here (at the High Court), as there is no such thing," he added.

"If you want to dismiss (an application) based on the facts, it is all right. If you want to dismiss it based on the law, make sure it is the right law.

"But in this country, there is no court higher than the civil court. There is no remedy that one could get anywhere else except the civil court," Zaid stressed.

Throughout the verdict, Justice Asmabi Mohamad did not rule on the possible constitutional violations raised by Kassim's (right) lawyer, following the Federal Territory Islamic Department’s act of arresting him outside their jurisdiction at his home in Kulim, Kedah.

In dismissing the 82-year-old’s judicial review, Justice Asmabi ruled that Kassim should seek remedy at the Syariah Court.

However, Zaid pointed out that constitutional issues should be decided by the civil courts and not the Syariah Court.

This is because civil courts are empowered to interpret on constitutional issues.

Can Umno be sincere in helping Kelantan?

It's cruel to conduct political horse trading in times of crisis, says Zaid Ibrahim.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Umno, as the party dominating the Federal Government, has been urged to set aside political interests in helping Kelantan deal with the aftermath of the flood. It should not try to “seduce” PAS into giving political concessions just because the “time is opportune and the people need Umno’s money,” says Zaid Ibrahim in his latest blog entry.

He says PAS should be allowed to continue governing Kelantan until its current term ends although “it does not make sense to allow the party to rule for many more years” seeing that it “has not done much to build the state in economic terms” in its 24 years in power.

“In times of crisis it is especially cruel to conduct political horse-trading when what is required is a bipartisan approach to solving problems,” he writes. “That’s how the federal system works in other countries, but can Umno be civil, helpful and responsible for positive change while making no political capital from the flood disaster in Kelantan?”

Zaid, himself a Kelantanese, laments that the people of the state tend to choose “pious-looking men” as their leaders, saying it might be hard to deal with future calamities effectively if they continued to do so.

“Sometimes we also must pick leaders who care enough about the people in addition to those who care about God,” he says.

“People-oriented leaders will find ways to solve long-term economic problems as well as issues relating to flooding and the destruction of forests. Such leaders work towards social improvements and are able to protect both people and property.

“Managing a modern state or government is a complex process in the 21st century, and so Kelantanese must start looking for other qualities in their leaders besides the ability to lead in prayers.”

Responding to PAS leaders who have said that the flood is a sign of God’s wrath for the sins of the people or His test of the faith of believers, Zaid says, “I am inclined to believe that the floods are due primarily to global climatic changes. These changes have caused severe storms and heavy rain in many places and it would have been ‘miraculous’ for us to have been spared the floods, given that other countries such as China, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines have experienced worse disasters.”

He sees a “ray if light” in the unity shown by Malaysians of various races in their support for the flood victims.

“Despite political forces going in full throttle to divide and break up the unity of the people,” he writes, “our sense of oneness is still strong.

“We must do more to support one another and achieve a united country as one people—in spite of the politicians.”

Umno is the cause of Malay weakness, says Zaid

He says Umno thinks Malays can be stronger by pulling away from non-Malays, not realising it would lead to an insular, paranoid community.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Umno is weakening the Malay community through its insistence on excluding non-Malays from the national agenda, says former law minister Zaid Ibrahim in a blog posting on Sunday.

“Superficially, the Malays may be seen as the ones in control but the reality is far different. The decision-makers who frame national policies may be Malays but they do not have the financial and economic tools to empower other Malays to succeed on their own,” said Zaid, the lawyer-politician and businessman who left Umno for PKR before falling out with the party’s leaders.

In his blog posting, he pointed out that it was only Umno’s own idea that Malays could be stronger by detaching themselves from non-Malays, and contended that this was only the way to an insular and paranoid community. There was no evidence that people could be united and strong just by being on their own – but many examples of communities growing stronger through diversity and a common purpose, he wrote.

Zaid’s observations were made in a reflection on discussions with Indonesian intellectuals on Friday about the different paths taken by Indonesia and Malaysia towards democracy, and of the differences in religious practices and the role of Islam in both societies.

He said one participant was very critical of Malaysia’s future and questioned if Malaysia could become a democratic country, given the Barisan Nasional’s strong racial bias and the use of Islam as a tool of political control to exaggerate differences among the people.

Zaid wrote that Malaysia’s progress towards democracy would depend on the political choice of the Malays. “If they can make that quantum leap” and reject “the defender of race and religion”, if they were willing to abandon the comfort of their own race or religious-based political party, “that will mark a new beginning for us all”.

He said a nation’s progress would stem from united purpose, and through the collective strength of the people, pointing out that the Malays could only succeed in the future, by collaborating and remaining united with the rest of the Malaysian community, if future economic conditions required Chinese money and human capital for growth to be sustainable.

Barisan parties’ silence over Umno assembly rhetoric will cost them, says Zaid

The failure of Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties to condemn racially charged speeches by delegates at the recent Umno general assembly will cost them votes from their respective communities, former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said.

The ex-Umno man said in his latest blog posting that leaders of the component parties had become "filled with such fear" that they did not dare muster even a mild protest against the speeches.

He accused the parties' leaders of being more concerned about their positions in the Cabinet and their parties.

"They are pathetic, and that’s why I would not be surprised if they fail to win any votes from their own people. Surely they have some iota of shame, enough to react to Umno’s taunting.

"But obviously not – they only have their positions as ministers and party leaders to cling to," he wrote in his blog.

Zaid, who also joined PKR for a stint after leaving Umno, said this year's assembly was "one of the worst in Umno's history".

"I would call the statements made by some of Umno's top leaders 'sick', and would rate them among the worst ever made by political leaders anywhere. They humiliate our own people with impunity...," he wrote.

But he added that such "venom" was "always present in large quantities" at the annual assembly of the BN's lynchpin party.

What was more distressing, Zaid said, was the lack of outcry from the BN component parties which represented the other races in the ruling coalition.

"What is glaring and worrying, however, is how Umno’s partners in the Barisan Nasional have shown a total lack of concern about Umno leaders and their speeches," he said.

"If the other component parties won’t react to this blatant provocation and humiliation, then it means we have descended into fascism. In a fascist environment, there is overriding fear of those in power. The fear is so consuming that it makes you incapable of reacting as a free human being. It makes you numb."

Urging the component parties to have more courage, Zaid said they should learn from the widow who was suing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and several others for damages following her family's exile from Malaysia for five years "because her late husband had said something that had angered the powers that be".

Zaid did not name the woman in his blog, but he was likely referring to A. Santamil Selvi, the widow of the late private detective P. Balasubramaniam, who was a witness in the murder trial of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Better known as P.I. Bala, he had made two statutory declarations (SD) within days of each other in July 2008, the first implicating Najib in Altantuya's murder in 2006, and the second which purportedly cleared the then deputy prime minister of involvement in the case.

He hurriedly left Malaysia after he signed the second SD and was in exile with his family in India for five years. He died in March last year from a heart attack just weeks after returning from India.

Najib, Rosmah and others named in Santamil's suit are now seeking to strike out the legal action on the grounds that the widow lacked the capacity to file the action as she has yet to obtain a letter of administration of her late husband's estate.

"You would have seen a woeful amount of cowardice if you followed the Umno general assembly. If you follow the life of the kindergarten teacher, you will find courage.

"We need a lot more of it if this country is going somewhere," Zaid said in comments directed at the BN component party leaders.

MCA vice-president Senator Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, however, did protest the statement by a Penang Umno delegate who said that Chinese in Penang had gained wealth and power through illegal means, such as gambling, prostitution and entertainment outlets.

Chew said the statement by Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said was inflammatory, offensive to the Chinese community as a whole, and urged Umno to act against him.

Zaid in his blog also named Mohd Zaidi as one of those whose who made incendiary statements at the Umno assembly.

He also ticked of Najib for using footage of the May 13, 1969, race riots in Kuala Lumpur during his speech at the assembly, where the prime minister had also said that Umno was the sole guarantor of peace in the country and that Malays had sacrificed more than anyone else to achieve peace.

"I just want to remind him that if he continues this way he will be remembered as ‘father of hate’ while his late father is deservedly known as 'father of development',” said Zaid. – November 30, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/barisan-parties-silence-over-umno-assembly-rhetoric-will-cost-them-says-zai#sthash.j0zKpN0f.dpuf

Zaid: Shabery Cheek’s logic hanging by a thread

Zaid Ibrahim says Umno’s argument that the lack of affordable housing in Penang is an attack on Malays lacks depth or sense.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Lamenting the total lack of depth in arguments put forth by Umno in their scramble to find suitable topics for Chinese-bashing, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has attacked Ahmad Shabery Cheek on his latest racist rant about the lack of affordable housing in Penang.

In his latest blog posting, Zaid cynically referred to Ahmad Shabery, who is Minister of Communication and Multimedia, as an “intellectual” whose “sophisticated” whining that “Malays are not welcome to live in Penang” was a lazy argument, lacking any “real evidence” and relied solely on Umno’s “old style of public bashing just before the UMNO General Assembly”.

Saying outright that “Umno has to start making sense”, Zaid was referring to the argument put forth by Ahmad Shabery that the DAP-led Penang state government was racist because the lower-income group was being deprived of affordable housing.

Arguing that Ahmad Shabery was actually referring to Malays because they made up the bulk of those in the lower income group, Zaid said, “By Ahmad Shabery’s logic therefore, the PAP Government (in Singapore) is also practising racial discrimination” as the wealthy were pushing up property prices, leaving Singaporeans without affordable housing.

Zaid said Ahmad Shabery should factor in the influx of money from Singapore and Hong Kong that contributed to skyrocketing property prices.

He also said Ahmad Shabery did not consider that many Malays themselves had sold their land for a good price and relocated.

Lamenting that Umno always tried to make everything a racial or religious issue, Zaid said, “Why do UMNO leaders always have to bring race and religion into everything, even when they’re talking about something basic such as housing?

“Are they incapable of discussing urban housing needs based on reality and facts?”

Saying the contributory factor to the lack of affordable housing in Penang was manifold, Zaid also made one pertinent statement: “… the Barisan Nasional itself has failed to resolve the poor’s housing problems nationwide.”

“Have they proposed any alternative plans to Lim Guan Eng (Penang Chief Minister), which he then refused on unreasonable grounds?” Zaid asked, adding he was not convinced DAP was a “stupid organisation”.

Zaid said, “Penang Malays currently comprise 40 per cent of the vote and Malay men can marry four wives, which means future demographics will favour the Malays in the medium and long term.”

Zaid said DAP was smarter than to make Malays feel unwelcome in Penang seeing as it was in their interest to keep the Malays happy so DAP could maintain their control over Penang come the next general election.

Saying Ahmad Shabery had “to work harder” to convince others that Malays were being sidelined in Penang, Zaid added, ““Surely they cannot rely just on Khairy to do all the clever stuff.”

Ex-CJ slammed for being ‘alarmist’

Zaid Ibrahim says judges should be level-headed even in retirement.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Political commentator Zaid Ibrahim today criticised former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad for “outright alarmism” in his reaction to the recent Court of Appeal decision on the rights of transgendered people.

“Judges ought to remain level-headed even in retirement and should not be influenced by extraneous factors, prejudices or their own wild imaginations,” the former law minister said in his latest blog entry.

A Bernama report yesterday quoted Abdul Hamid as saying he feared that the Appeal Court decision would result in the eventual invalidation of Islamic laws, including those that permit Muslim polygamy and outlaw adultery and sodomy.

Zaid accused Abdul Hamid of “dramatising” the possible effects of the decision.

“We would hasten to assure him that none of the civil court judges will approve same-sex marriage applications because it simply isn’t permitted under federal law. Likewise, sodomy is an offence and adultery is an offence for Muslims,” he said.

“In the case of Muslim offences generally, I am sure that civil court judges will not disturb shariah verdicts if there are sufficient witnesses to prove the offence in accordance with Islamic law.”

He said Abdul Hamid, as a former chief justice sworn to uphold the Federal Constitution, should have congratuled the Court of Appeal judges for interpreting the law according to the constitution.

“As a lawyer, Abdul Hamid surely knows that all state laws must conform to the Federal Constitution,” he said. “The areas of the law on which the state can legislate are described in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.”

Zaid: Political leaders kow-towing to Islamic authorities who’ve usurped God’s power

(Malay Mail Online) – Malaysia’s Islamic authorities have become so bold as to assume God’s power to pass judgment on Muslims that political leaders are ceding even administrative control of the country to these clerics, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said.

The former de facto law minister was weighing in on a growing trend for federal and state Islamic authorities to label progressive Muslim groups and individuals deemed “liberal” and “pluralistic” as “deviants”; he noted too that while Muslims around the world have no clergy that act as intermediaries with God, it was not so in Malaysia.

“Here, there are religious authorities who have usurped the power of God and pass judgement on Muslims long before they die and long before The Day of Judgement,” Zaid wrote on his blog yesterday in a post titled “The real power in Malaysia”.

“What is abundantly clear to Malaysians who care to see is that Malay political leaders are afraid of the religious authorities. Our leaders are like the Imperial Chinese eunuchs who would always obey the Emperor for the privilege of living in the Palace and having control over state finances.

“In this matter, there is no difference at all whether Umno or the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has political power and occupies Putrajaya — today the real power in our lives emanates from the religious authorities,” the vocal Kelantan-born politician said.

Recently, the Selangor Fatwa Committee issued a religious edict against Sisters in Islam (SIS), declaring the Muslim women’s rights group had deviating from Islam because it was purportedly promoting liberalism and religious pluralism — concepts which the conservative committee has yet to elaborate.

SIS filed last Friday for a judicial review on the fatwa that was gazetted last July in Selangor.

“Instead of calling up the religious authorities to explain to them the dangers of their rulings and how they violate our constitutional freedoms — and how Muslims will be adversely affected by such rulings — our political leaders have done nothing,” Zaid said in his blog post.

He criticised Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for purportedly saying at an international forum touting Muslim democracy that while there was nothing wrong with pluralism and liberalism, he would not change the decision of the Islamic authorities in Selangor, a state controlled by PR.

Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali made a similar remark last Sunday, saying he did not support the fatwa against SIS but was merely asking others to respect it as the decision has already been made.

Zaid said there was nothing sinful about being liberal, pointing out that it only meant that someone is “open-minded” and has “forward-looking and progressive” ideas.

“When the prime minister said that Umno Selangor had to think outside the box and come up with new ideas to retake the state, he was being liberal and progressive. You can also say that, in the context of Umno, Najib, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin are liberals and progressives while Utusan Malaysia, Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Isma are conservatives,” he said.

Zaid also said religious pluralism means, in the context of Malaysia, that all religions have the right to exist in the country and that it is not a judgment call on which faith is better or truer.

“As Muslims, we believe of course that Islam is better — but no one is preventing us from believing this. Equally, Hindus (for example) are entitled to their own set of religious beliefs in what constitutes the path to salvation,” he said.

“Pluralism means we accept that there are different religious faiths in the country and that our fellow-citizens have the right to practise those faiths freely. It is the idea that we must coexist peacefully. That’s the essence of Article 11 of our